The only culinary success on the day, when I cocked up a cake ( spiced date and coffee cake that worked out so nicely last time and today I managed to under bake it and it went to the bin). For dinner I had those lovely scallops from Whole Foods and some shrimps, which I served with rice and lovely broccoli, but I felt I haven’t done the scallops justice, for the first time ever I have not finished them and left 4 on the plate. I felt really bad about it!

But, as Christmas is fast approaching, I have found horseradish roots in Whole Foods, bought one and having asked my Mum how to make it as awesome as hers, I got cracking. Peeled the root first and then painstakingly grated it on the fine grater, with Florek’s help. Had to open the door to have fresh air, the smell is so strong. And so the grated horseradish, wet with our tears was sprinkled with some salt and then a mixture of boiling water, wine vinegar, sugar and more salt was prepared. Mum said it’s to be sweet- sour like, mixed into the radish. It’s ready to eat when cooled. We enjoyed it with some nice ham.

Masterchef The Professionals is back.  The show that inspires me to get into the kitchen and do stuff. And makes me scream at the tv, when a bint, that calls herself a chef can’t make a choux pastry, “cause she didn’t really work with the pastry that much yet”. And entertains me, when the boy faces Food Critics for the first time ever and serves them duck with squid and chantilly cream with…black olives. William Sitwell said it was revolting. :-))))

Last week Michel Roux asked them to make choux buns with mornay sauce and a beer and onion soup. As for the soup I wasn’t excited, so I made one of my favourites, carrot and coriander, but the buns I had to try and they worked great. I used the same recipe like for profiteroles, minus the sugar, so 50 g of butter with 150ml of water heated up, 75 g of strong white flour added and worked until it came of the side of the pan, then transferred to Kitchen Aid to fininsh the job, with 2 whole eggs added slowly. Baked in 220 degrees for about 22 minutes.

Mornay sauce, just like bechamel, but with added grated cheese, Michel says gruyere, I had grated cheddar, so in it went, lots of nutmeg and seasoning plus chopped serrano ham. Next time will chop it more finely, as it was getting stuck in a pipping bag exit and it took me 10 minutes to fill the buns.

All in all, very good, very filling, very tasty with sweet soup. Yum.